Someone from Illinois recently passed on this question to me that he received about bringing sons on service days:
“I just got a question from a dad who would like his 14 and 10 year olds to be on a team. What is the earliest age recommended or approved to have kids work with dads?”
I think dads bringing their sons with them on service days is an excellent idea. Working with godly men who are serving a widow or single mom is a great way to teach important life lessons about compassion, service, teamwork, faithfulness, and the love of Christ. By taking your sons along on service days, you not only have yourself as an example for them to follow, they have your fellow team members as examples as well. I took my two sons along with me on service days when they were teens and it was a great way to spend time with them.
Having said that, there are some issues to consider.
Are your sons mature enough? Maturity is really the question here. Immature boys who require constant attention and may hurt themselves or cause damage should not be included on servce days. But boys who can make a genuine contribution should be allowed to come, other things being equal.
Will you be able to supervise them at all times? In general, the younger your boys, the more supervision they will need. As their father, you must understand that you are ultimately responsible for your sons, not your team members or your care receiver.
What does your care receiver think? Your care receiver has veto power over anyone who participates on your team. She (or he) has the final say on whether your sons come with you on service days.
What do your team members think? If your team members feel like they’re the ones who will be held responsible for your sons when they’re out of your sight, they man prefer that they not come. Be sure and check with your team members before you bring your sons.
Are your sons really helping? If overseeing your sons takes you away from serving with your team, then you need to evaluate whether that is fair to the rest of your team members.
Should there be a specific age limit? In general, I think the lower age limit for sons participating on service days should be around ten or eleven. But it all depends on the maturity of the boys.
Should we form teams of teens? No. I’ve tried this. It didn’t work. “Teams of teens” may be hard to say, but they’re even harder to manage.
Fathers and sons working together on service days serving a widow or single mom is one of the healthiest activities they can do together. Keeping a few precautions in mind will ensure that the activity becomes a great family tradition.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
Have you taken your sons on service days? What was your experience?
_______________________________________________________________
Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
_______________________________________________________________
